Amy Graham

Amy Graham
To The Full
(Independently Released)

Whenever someone mentions Christian Music, there’s a scene that immediately comes to my mind. It’s from an old episode of Seinfeld in which Elaine Benes discovers that George Costanza listens to Christian music. George explains his fondness for the genre by saying, “Christian musicians are just so happy…not like real musicians.”

Of course this sweeping generalization isn’t totally fair, but it does reveal what many consider to be a real problem with contemporary Christian music -- that it just isn’t relevant. Fortunately, there are still plenty of Christian artists out there who write about the issues people of faith struggle with every day.

Amy Graham is definitely one of these artists. The five tracks on To the Full are not merely love ballads to Jesus (not that there’s anything wrong with that, to use another “Seinfeld” reference). Instead, Graham’s songs address the inner thoughts and feelings of someone whose faith has helped her through the darkest times of her life. From the opening lines, it’s clear that Graham’s music is undeniably authentic -- a refreshing contrast to much of today’s narcissistic musical landscape.

To the Full opens with “Born Again.” It’s the perfect choice to open this collection of songs, as it showcases Graham’s strengths: memorable melodic hooks, dynamic vocals, and heartfelt lyrics. “Born Again” finds Graham incorporating her confessional singer/songwriter instincts into a jangly pop song structure. It’s definitely a technique that works well for her. While these melodies could stand by themselves as acoustic performances, they achieve another level of emotion when backed by a full band.

Another highlight is the uplifting “Ashes Beautiful,” in which Graham faces her self-doubt head on. This track eventually leads to her full surrender in the phoenix-like proclamation, “Here I am, here I am.” To the Full comes to a close with the poetic and passionate “Your Word.” On this track, Graham proclaims her determination to follow her beliefs, regardless of any circumstances she may face.

To the Full is an impressively cohesive debut. Among the disc’s many strengths are the multiple layers of the arrangements, especially in the way the vocal tracks and chiming guitars weave together seamlessly. Lyrically, this EP is the journal of a life that has been transformed by a powerful, meaningful faith. As the album closes with the determined line, “And I will go out in joy/ And I will be satisfied,” it’s clear that Amy Graham is a real musician who deserves to be heard by a wider audience.

--Jere Chandler
Birmingham Weekly
- Birmingham Weekly